Digital innovation in theatre ETC International Theatre Conference April 6 – 9 2017 hosted by STAATSTHEATER KARLSRUHE and ZKM | Center for Art and Media DUBRAVKA VRGOČ ETC President General Manager and Artistic Director Croatian National Theatre Zagreb At the turn of the millennium, amidst the global a challenge to the theatre; a new means that euphoria of various “endisms”, we heard a lot theater will use to respond to the expectations about the end of history, the end of civilization, of its audience and its time. Thus the conference the end of ideology... and often the end of theatre entitled Digital innovation in theatre is a was mentioned, too. Thousands of studies conference that puts theatre in the role of a new were written and hundreds of lectures delivered media researcher that will help theatre not to lose articulating the fear that the art of theatre its contemporaneity, nor its universality. And, would soon disappear and that it would soon be finally, by using new technology in its approach repressed, destroyed or simply “eradicated” by to thinking about the world, isn’t theatre actually the new technology. In the millennium year, new opening a new chapter of its own history? technology was the magic word that towered over the theater as the greatest threat in its thousand- year old history, perhaps the gravest yet since its beginnings. Today, seventeen years later, in the time of uncertainty as we anticipate changes that have not yet been charted, the only thing we can be certain of is that new technology has done no harm to theater. On the contrary, it seems that theater is willing to employ it in the service of the theatrical language which wants to shape the contours of the new artistic landscape. New technology no longer poses a threat. It is rather PETER SPUHLER PETER WEIBEL General Manager ZKM Chairman and and Artistic Director ETL Advisory Board Member STAATSTHEATER KARLSRUHE Since its foundation, the history of Karlsruhe has The ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe been linked to the history of its theatre. Both are is devoted to a strong alliance of science, stories of creation and innovation. The city has technology and the arts. This triple has changed brought forth the bicycle, the first law to grant full our contemporary culture most drastically. ZKM equality to Jews, the first all girl’s high school, and is the first museum of media equality worldwide, the first email in Germany. The theatre premiered presenting the arts from painting to pixel. In its Brahms’ First Symphony with the BADISCHE many collaborations with artists and scientists STAATSKAPELLE, the full length Les Troyens by ZKM is expanding the visitor’s sensorium Berlioz and, most recently, Wahnfried, an opera and mind to the conditions of the future: from about the anti-Semitism of the Wagner clan. audience participation, both physically and virtually, to immersive environments. Therefore Since 2011 we started many initiatives to open ZKM is a performative museum. the theatre: to the city, to new audiences, to art forms of the 21st century. We founded The discovery of electromagnetic waves by departments for children and youth and for Heinrich Hertz in Karlsruhe between 1886 and participatory performances and we initiated 1888 spurred the manifold inventions of tele- coproductions with over 23 countries worldwide. technology (from telephone to the internet) and This conference and our share in the European thus grounded the system of what we experience Theatre Lab, in collaboration with the ZKM, our as disruptive digital media technology of today. host and partner, are important steps towards our 300th anniversary 2019. May the moving force of that historic moment be vibrant throughout the upcoming days! Warm Welcome to Karlsruhe! welcome to all creative acteurs of the European Theatre Lab! Digital innovation in theatre 1 DIGITAL INNOVATION IN THEATRE The conference is part of the ETC project European Theatre Lab: Drama goes digital The international conference Digital innovation in theatre investigates a broad spectrum of current issues related to the digitisation of theatre. Initiated by the European Theatre Convention, the conference features leading digital experts from a variety of cultural sectors. In panel talks, speeches, presentations and workshops, distinguished guests will discuss creative possibilities and share their expertise with theatre makers. The conference also kicks off the ground-breaking EU-wide project titled European Theatre Lab: Drama goes digital, spareheaded by the European Theatre Convention. As Europe’s first think tank devoted to researching the theatre of the future, the Lab will explore in a series of public events, conferences and festivals how the digital revolution affects aesthetics, audience participation and communication and dissemination in theatre. A central premise of the European Theatre Lab is that true digital innovation in theatre goes beyond mere buzzwords to instead harness the enormous creative potential theatre offers, especially in their ability to move and reach audiences. With this perspective in mind, the project investigates how theatres can incorporate new technology in their creative works, in their ways of addressing audiences and by using working methods that overcome borders and celebrate diversity. Based on project results, an overarching goal is to develop a digital strategy for theatre in Europe. 2 Digital innovation in theatre DRAMA GOES DIGITAL EUROPEAN THEATRE LAB Under the umbrella of the European Theatre Lab, seven European theatres have assembled to develop three creative projects and new forms of co-production: Staatstheater Karlsruhe (Germany), Théâtre de la Manufacture Nancy (France) and Kote Marjanishvili State Drama Theatre Tbilisi (Georgia) are working on a project on surveillance called Stage your city, using augmented reality effects and actively involving the audience. Théâtre de Liège (Belgium) and Teatrul National Craiova (Romania) are working on the project Dub it which combines a technical approach to simplify the surtitling by a vocal recognition system and an artistic production about language diversity. Zagreb National Theatre (Croatia) and Det Norske Teatret Oslo (Norway) will stage two large scale productions of a Norwegian and a Croatian classic using new technology to “Make distance non-existant”. All three projects will be presented in a showcase in June 2018 in Oslo. An Advisory Board consisting of distinguished experts from the fields of science, techno- logy, media and the performing arts is lending their experience and insights: Dick van Dijk (Creative Director, Waag Society Amsterdam), Marie Le Sourd (Secretary General, On the Move), Simon Mellor (Deputy Chief Executive Director Arts and Culture, Arts Council England), Christian Römer (Representative for Culture and New Media, Heinrich Böll Foundation), Dieter Schneider (Commissioning Editor & Head of Theatre, Pop and Event, ARTE/ZDF), Gerfried Stocker (Artistic Director, Ars Electronica Center Linz), Peter Weibel (Chairmain, ZKM Center for Arts and Media). The Advisory Board members reflect a balance of expertise and, as multipliers, help to expand the ETL network to encompass other sectors. They also ensure that the ETL research is included in a high-level international dialogue with relevant cross-sectoral partners. The results of the two year European Theatre Lab will be published in a digital casebook for the creative community and a recommendation report for policy makers. The project is funded by the Creative Europe program of the European Commission. The virtual lab platform provides information and news about relevant events, debates and current developments. www.europeantheatrelab.org Digital innovation in theatre 3 PROGRAMME THURSDAY, 6TH APRIL 2017 Arrivals 10h00 – 13h00 ZKM | Center for Arts ETL team meetings and Media Lorenzstr. 19 14h00 – 17h00 ZKM ETL team and Advisory board meeting 15h00 – 17h00 ZKM ETC board meeting 17h15 Shuttle from ZKM to STAATSTHEATER KARLSRUHE 18h00 MITTLERES FOYER Welcome! Get-together and guided tour through the theatre STAATSTHEATER Peter Spuhler General Manager and Artistic Director KARLSRUHE STAATSTHEATER KARLSRUHE Hermann-Levi-Platz 1 Dubravka Vrgoč ETC President Wolfram Jäger First Deputy Mayor responsible for Cultural Affairs Data Tavadze Tbilisi, Fast Forward Festival 2016 director award winner Performances 19h00 – 20h30 INSEL ROMEO AND JULIET – NEXT GENERATION Karlstr. 41b, Digital version after William Shakespeare taxi shuttle provided Directed by Ulrike Stöck JUNGES STAATSTHEATER, English synopsis 20h00 – 21h45 STUDIO ATTACK ON FREEDOM STAATSTHEATER after Juli Zeh & Ilija Trojanow KARLSRUHE Directed by Patrick Wengenroth WORLD PREMIERE, English surtitles As of 22h00 CANTINA Post-premiere party backstage FRIDAY, 7TH APRIL 2017 09h30 Bus shuttle from hotel ACHAT Plaza to ZKM PLEASE BRING YOUR SMARTPHONE 10h00 ZKM KUBUS Official opening Jan Linders Deputy General Manager & Head Dramaturg, STAATSTHEATER KARLSRUHE Dubravka Vrgoč ETC President Petra Olschowski Secretary of State, Ministry for Science, Research and the Arts 10h15 ZKM KUBUS Introductory note Peter Weibel ZKM Chairman & ETL Advisory Board Member 10h30 ZKM KUBUS Exploring digital innovation in theatre. A field discovery tour Animated by Dick van Dijk Creative director Waag Society Institute for Arts, Science and Technology 11h00 ZKM KUBUS Keynote speech: Digital innovation in theatre Marcus Romer Associate Artist at Theatre Royal Stratford East & Creative Director of Artsbeacon